Tag: USB

We-Vibe Ditto

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So November is here, the month of gunpowder, treason, and plot – Thanksgiving if you’re across the pond – and Black Friday seemingly everywhere now. It’s also a reminder to me that I’ve had this little toy in my possession for a year now, and it’s about time that I put my thoughts down on paper.

Following on from my recent review of the Hush, here’s one that’s long overdue.

 

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So Divine Wicked Game Magic Wand

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A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail on behalf of So Divine, a new sex toy brand that’s recently launched in the UK, and they asked if they could send over some products for me to review.
This time around I’m going to be looking at the Wicked Game Magic Wand, and it’s one that I’ve been eager to try out, so let the review commence!

The Wicked Game is So Divine’s first wand-style vibrator and, as it would happen, only my second. Aside from the Palm Power Massager which I reviewed four years ago, I don’t have a lot of experience with vibrating wands, but they’re something I’ve always liked the idea of. What sets wands apart from other vibrators is that they’re renowned for their sheer power, and as a known power-junkie myself that’s right up my alley.

The Wicked Game is in many ways your standard sort of wand vibrator, but at the same time it has a little bit of a trick up its sleeve, one that you probably wouldn’t expect just from looking at it, but I’ll get to that shortly.

In terms of design the wand has a lovely ergonomic shape, and feels very comfortable and natural in hand. At 9 1/2″ in total length it’s pretty long, but because it’s also quite slender and lightweight it doesn’t feel that big overall, and remains easy to wield. The whole thing is covered in a layer of body-safe silicone which seals away the electronics, making it waterproof, and has a velvety-soft matte finish which feels pleasant to the touch. There’s no discernable squish to the silicone as it’s only a thin layer, but it feels more luxurious than a bare plastic.
Near the top of the wand are two metal electrodes which protrude from the silicone, and this is where the magnetic charging cable connects. The cable plugs into a USB port, but what I really like is that they actually throw in an adapter too, so you call plug it into a wall socket rather than a computer. This is the first time I’ve encountered a company that does this, so it’s a nice touch.

The wand contains two separate motors located at opposite ends of the body, and these can be operated alternately, but not simultaneously. The head of the wand is designed for external stimulation, while the tail of the wand can be inserted, so it’s a little like getting two toys in one. If you do plan on inserting the tail of the wand, then it’s worth noting that the circumference around the widest point is 4 7/8″, so it’s not for beginner anal play.

The wand is operated by a trio of buttons located near the middle of the body, and are easily accessible whichever end of the wand you are using. Holding down the power button in the centre for 2 seconds turns on the toy, and this is confirmed by a small blue LED lighting up. Pressing the arrow button pointed towards the head activates that motor and starts it vibrating on the lowest setting, while pressing the arrow pointed towards the tail end switches to that motor, and you can flick back and forth between them at will. With a given motor selected you can cycle through the various settings by repeatedly pressing the corresponding arrow button. There are 3 power levels in all, and 7 patterns to choose from.
In terms of how the wand actually performs in use, the word “lacklustre” comes to mind, and that’s a real shame, because up until I turned it on I was actually really liking the Wicked Game. The vibrations are incredibly shallow and buzzy, especially in the tail end where they seem to get lost inside the toy and barely emanate out. Using it inserted I could barely feel anything of note, and while I don’t expect to get Lelo Loki levels of intensity from something that costs under half the price, I did expect more. The vibrations felt more akin to those of a butt plug powered by a £10 battery-operated bullet, than something that was coming from a rechargeable toy, and regrettably they had no impact on my prostate. The patterns were more noticeable than the constant vibration, but at most they simply felt like an intermittent tingling sensation around the sphincter. Even attempting to move the wand around into different positions had no effect, and in fact the physical sensation of the wand’s contoured shape felt more pleasurable inside the body than anything produced by the motor.
The head end fares a little better, but only marginally. Here the vibrations do translate more, and you can feel an added degree of strength, but as soon as you place them up against your erogenous zones it’s another damp squib. The majority of the settings are simply so buzzy that none of the vibrations penetrate into the tissue or have a significant impact. Holding the wand against my penis I simply felt bored most of the time, and even my erection began to waiver. The only setting I liked was the very lowest power level, because that at least had a little more rumble to it, but I couldn’t describe the sensation it produced any more enthusiastically than as “nice.” I wagered I could probably produce an orgasm from that setting, but trying to get any satisfaction out of the wand is a real effort, and that’s not really the result you want from a sex toy. It certainly wasn’t what I was anticipating, judging by my experience with wands in the past.
The one saving grace is that the wand is pretty quiet, but that would seem to be more a symptom of its lack of power than anything.

I have to say that on the whole the Wicked Game magic wand is a disappointment, and it started out with so much promise. It’s a good-looking, well-built toy, that incorporates quality materials and modern charging technology, but its functionality is just poor. The fact that it tries to do two things and can’t get either right is simply insult to injury. You can’t help but think that it would have been better if they’d simply concentrated on one area and really nailed it, rather than attempting to double the features.

It probably comes as no surprise, but I’m not going to be recommending the Wicked Game magic wand. Even at its price point I don’t see the value, and I’d suggest saving your pennies for something with a little more punch.

Thanks to So Divine for providing the wand, and you can find it on Lovehoney.

Je Joue Classic Bullet Vibe

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Now that Autumn seems firmly upon us, I hope everyone had a great Summer and made the most of whatever good weather there was. This month Je Joue have launched a trio of exciting new bullet vibes, and they reached out to me to see if I’d like to review one. I’m always keen to support companies that hail from right here in the land of tea and crumpets, so naturally I said yes, and you can catch the review below!

Je Joue has been around since 2008, and despite them being a British company this is actually my first time reviewing one of their products, so it’s one of those rare reviews where I start off with no preconceptions.
Their new range of bullets consists of the Classic, the G-Spot, and the Rabbit, and their names more or less tell you what you need to know about them. I opted for the Classic as it seemed the most appropriate for my uses. The G-Spot has a similar design, but a little longer and with an angled tip for insertion, but not really anal-safe, while the Rabbit has two little “ears” at the top, similar to a design I’ve enjoyed in the Jimmy Jane Form 2.
Probably the first thing worth noting about the Classic is that it’s a little bigger than your typical bullet vibes, such as the RO-80mm from Rocks Off, or the We-Vibe Tango, so it’s not going to be fitting inside the bullet holes of any of your toys. This does limit its applications somewhat, but if you find those vibes a little fiddly in your hands then then added size here could help.
The basic design of the Classic is pretty much what you’d expect from a bullet, although it does slightly remind me of a half-smoked cigar, with its extra girth and contrasting flat and tapered ends. One nice feature about the Classic is that the hard plastic body is covered with a plush velvety silicone with a matte finish. The entire tapered end appears to be made from this silicone, with the plastic body not extending into it, which gives a nice squishy tip to it. At the very end of the vibe a silicone flap conceals a USB charging port, and when it’s in place the bullet is completely waterproof. 
The Classic has five speeds and seven different patterns to choose from, and these are selected with three buttons on the side of the bullet, positioned near to the base. Holding the (+) button turns on the bullet, and each subsequent press increases the power, while pressing the (-) decreases the power, and holding it turns the bullet off again. A button marked (S) is used to cycle through the patterns. 
At its lowest setting the Classic feels quite rumbly, and when you press it against the body you can feel the vibrations penetrating deeply. As you start to increase the power, however, the story changes. As the strength of the vibrations becomes more intense, they also become more buzzy, and that deep penetrating vibration becomes a shallow surface sensation. It’s definitely a powerful vibrator, it’s just not powerful in the way that I’d like it. As someone who enjoys using vibrators on the penis, I find a deep rumbly vibration that penetrates into the tissue much more satisfying than vibrations which only tickle the surface skin, so this did dash my hopes a little. 
The patterns consist of a few different sequences of pulses going at various speeds, combined with a couple where the intensity of the vibrations gradually ramps up and down, and these are always fun to play around with. I’d call these the tried and tested vibration patterns, as it seems to be the ones you encounter most often, with nothing too out of the ordinary.
In all of its modes the Classic remains pretty quiet, which is always a bonus. It’s not going to draw the attention of anyone on the other side of a door or thin partition wall, so you can use it quite discreetly.
In terms of use the Classic is a good little vibrator, and very enjoyable, despite not being as rumbly as I’d like. The soft matte silicone felt very comfortable against the skin, and glided smoothly against it, allowing for a manual stimulation of the frenulum in conjunction with the vibrations. I found that this technique worked well with the bullet on constant at the lowest power setting, and felt quite pleasurable, but it also felt satisfying to hold the bullet stationary and experiment with the patterns at a higher intensity level, as this produced a broader spectrum of sensations. As the power ramps up with each pulse it goes through the full range of that low rumble through to the strong buzz, so you get a little taste of everything, and that uniqueness certainly helps to make up for its other shortcomings. Although at times I did find myself craving more of that rumbly power that I get from some of my other vibrators, I had no trouble climaxing with the Je Joue Classic, it just felt a little more drawn out.
The big question for this review, really, is whether or not I’d recommend this bullet, and for that I have to bring out the We-Vibe Tango, because the Tango has become the benchmark against which I judge all bullets. In a market that’s saturated with a wide array of different vibrators, it’s imperative to compare and contrast what you’re getting at any given price point. The Je Joue Classic retails for around £45 – £50, depending on where you’re shopping, which puts it in direct competition with the Tango, which is available for £50 – £55, and this I feel is where the problem lies. By itself the Classic is a good enough vibrator, it’s waterproof, it’s rechargeable, it offers a selection of different patterns, but at the end of the day it’s no Tango. It simply lacks that sheer deep rumbling power that the Tango puts out, and for the sake of £5 the Tango would be the one you’d want to go for every time. As much as I’d like to tell you to go out and support a British brand, if you’re looking to squeeze out every last bang for your buck, then I’m afraid this isn’t the bullet.
Many thanks to Je Joue for sending me the Classic to review. It’s available from SheVibe.

Lelo Loki Wave Prostate Massager

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A mere month ago Lelo released a trio of exciting new prostate massagers which I reviewed here on this very blog, and now today they’ve gone and announced one more to add to the mix.

Clearly they work fast over at Lelo, and I was lucky enough to receive one to review, so let’s go ahead and see what I made of the Loki Wave!

The Loki Wave is a toy which greets you with all the familiarity of an old friend – albeit in this instance a friend you met only last month. Everything from the name to the design makes no attempt to disguise that the Wave builds directly on where the original Loki left off, and you can see it in every crest and contour. It takes that same lovely bulbous shape of the Loki, and adds on a perineum arm just like the one found on the Hugo, but you might ask yourself why the need for this. Surely they could have included this in the design already? Well that’s not the only trick behind the Loki Wave, because it combines these features with the addition of motion, real physical motion, the likes of which is extremely rare to find in a prostate massager.

Those of you with keen eyes and a comprehensive amount of Lelo product knowledge may have noticed that, much in the same way as the Loki looked an awful lot like the Lelo Mona, the Loki Wave has an uncanny resemblance to the Mona Wave, and this does seem to be a trend of Lelo upcyling their most popular G-spot vibrators into prostate massagers. Personally I’m all in favour of this and think it makes sound business sense. I’ve long heard my female reviewer friends rave about the Mona 2 and Mona Wave, and honestly if someone had sent me one I’d have used it in a flash, but it’s nice now to have specifically anal-safe versions for guys to try.

The Loki Wave has fundamentally the same dimensions as the original Loki, and in total you’re looking at 8″ inches from end to end, with 4″ of insertable shaft. That may not sure like a lot, but I’m always reminding people that the prostate is actually quite shallow and easy to reach, so 4″ is more than enough to get there. In terms of girth comes in at 4 5/8″ around the widest point, which could prove a little too much for complete anal novices, but a good size for everyone else.
The construction of the Loki Wave varies slightly from the original Loki, but only with respect to the handle section. Internally the whole toy is made from a firm ABS plastic which is then in turn covered by a thin layer of soft velvety silicone. Whereas on the original Loki the silicone covered only the insertable section and the handle was plastic, on the Wave the handle is now too covered in silicone, though this section retains the same white colouring There are two colour options available for the rest of the silicone, Federal Blue or Obsidian Black. I happen to have the black one again, but I included an example of the blue at the top as I think it looks a bit nicer. The amount of silicone on the Loki / Wave isn’t all that thick, but you can feel a little give when you squeeze it, so it does provide a touch of cushioning.
When it does come to inserting the Loki Wave it’s a nice smooth affair. The size clearly makes it less beginner-friendly than the Hugo or the Billy, but the gentle taper helps to ease that bulbous shaft into the body, and the smooth plush silicone feels lovely against the skin. Inside the body the Wave feels pleasantly filling; it’s not the biggest toy in the world but you can really feel its presence, especially with the way that it angles itself into the prostate and applies a gentle pressure. Outside the body the secondary arm rests against the perineum and too creates pressure at this point.
With the toy in position it stays quite happily in place meaning there’s no need to keep holding onto it if you don’t wish. The handle protrudes from the body enough that it’s easy to grab onto to operate, and with a little flexibility you can see the buttons too. Most of the time you’re going to be operating the buttons blind, and due to the handle changes this is a little different now to with the Loki. There are 5 buttons in all, with a central on/off and the other 4 laid out around it like the points of a compass. West and East are + & – which control the vibration intensity, while North and South cycle up and down through the different modes. The central button is identifiable as it’s denoted by a depression in the handle, whereas the others have only faint markings embossed in the silicone, so it’s usually necessary to use the power button to first orient your thumb, before then moving to press a particular button.

In total there are 10 different modes to choose from, and they all control a number of different variables. You can have the Wave Motion active or not, you can have the internal motor active or not, you can have the motor in the perineum arm active or not, and you can either be in constant vibration mode or experiencing a pattern. It’s a really great selection, but it’s also quite a lot to be thinking about as you’re cycling through them using only up and down arrows, trying to find just the one you want. Luckily the toy does remember your last setting when you turn it off, so if you have a favourite then it’s easy to stick with.

As with in the Loki the vibrations are impressively strong, even on the lower settings, and you can really feel them penetrating into the prostate. In terms on what the vibrations themselves are like on a buzzy to rumbly scale, they’re more midway between the two, leaning more towards the rumbly side. Personally I would have preferred a little more of a deeper rumbly vibration than what you get, but I always say that, and it’s still a really pleasing sensation that it delivers, especially when coupled with the intensity of the power settings.

The real star of the show here though is the Wave Motion, because if you only wanted vibrations then you’d just buy a Loki. The motion technology is what takes the Loki Wave to a whole other level. When it’s activated the main bulb of the device moves towards the perineum arm and then back again, like a robotic hand making a squeezing motion. Inside the body it has the effect of gently applying pressure repeatedly to the prostate, just as though you were attempting to massage it with a manual toy. It’s actually quite an amazing effect, especially in conjunction with the strong vibrations. It’s honestly like nothing I’ve felt throughout hundreds of reviews. One good feature about the presence of the perineum arm is that it does provide leverage while the toy is in motion, and ensures that it’s actually the internal portion that’s moving, and not just the handle wagging around outside the body. I make this point because it’s not the first time I’ve tried a prostate massager with motion, if you’ll recall the Nexus Revo 2. In that case it employed a completely different rotary motion, but most of the time the part that moved was the base outside the body, and not the internal arm. With the Loki Wave it’s not strictly necessary to hold the handle during use in order to feel the effect of the motion, but it can alter the sensations slightly if you choose to.

What’s actually nice about the Wave Motion is that you don’t have to do a thing with the toy, it’s the ultimate lazy man’s pleasure. With the Loki I’d often find myself wanting to thrust a little with it to get that extra touch of manual stimulation, but now that’s completely taken care of. You just select your favourite pattern and vibration strength, then lie back and let it go to town. The whole combination of effects just feels incredible, from the deep vibrations simultaneously penetrating the perineum and prostate, to that methodic back and forth motion, prodding and squeezing your prostate, like it was a piece of dough being kneaded by a strong-armed Swedish baker. It’s one of those toys that makes you think again of the mythical prostate orgasm, and wonder once more if you might be able to reach it. If you just let it do its thing then it does seem possible, and feels great just like this, but coupled with regular masturbation you’re guaranteed one of the best orgasms of your life.

Like the other Lelo prostate massagers the Loki Wave is rechargeable, has a lockable keypad for use when travelling, and comes with a cloth storage pouch. It is a tad more noisy than the Loki due to a slight whirring from the Wave Motion, but with a closed door it’s doubtful anyone would hear it. It comes with a USB charging cable rather than a wall plug, and again it’s 100% waterproof, giving you the option of safely using it in the bath or shower.

So as we reach the point of the review where I feel that it’s time to wrap up, I only have one thing to say; buy one. Lelo have really impressed me once again with this one, and after the Loki I wasn’t sure where they could go next. The introduction of Wave Motion just takes a prostate massager beyond expectations, and I feel as though I’m almost spoiled for any other toy now. It thoroughly deserves my recommendation, and if you have a prostate then you owe it to yourself to try it.
Thanks to Lelo for sending me one to review and it’s available to buy directly from Lelo, and the following places around the world:
North America: Lovehoney USA, Shevibe

Lelo Loki Prostate Massager

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September is upon us and as we bid a sad farewell to the Summer let’s kick off the month with an exciting new product review!
A week ago Lelo made a big splash when they announced the launch of some all new toys for men, in the form of three specially-designed prostate massagers, and I had the very good fortune to be contacted prior to the launch and offered the chance to review them.
First up is the Loki, which I like to think of as the successor to the Billy. The Billy was my first serious sex toy that I got my hands on back in the infancy of my reviewing days, and it was all thanks to a £100 prize that I won in SexToys.co.uk‘s Review of the Month competition. Before then I never would have considered spending £80 on a sex toy but the Billy quickly became a firm favourite, blowing me away with its intense vibrations, and proving it was worth every penny. With the passage of time, though, there did come a point when I started to crave a little more; a little more power, a little more girth, and now it would seem Lelo have heeded that call.
Catch the review below!

For a lot of years now Lelo have focused primarily on the female and couples market, with only one powered toy in their range of luxury Swedish-designed products that was aimed wholly and exclusively at men. The release of the Loki marks their long-awaited and very welcome return to this arena, and with two other products in tow they’ve clearly returned in full force.
The Loki is, in many ways, similar to the Billy in that it’s a handheld prostate massager, rather than one designed to be worn, but don’t worry if you’re a fan of the latter as Lelo have covered all the bases with their other two products. At first glance what stands out about the Loki is its size, because it’s significantly bigger than the Billy. At total you’re looking at 8″ inches from end to end, versus only 6 3/4″ with the Billy, but interestingly all of this extra length is taken up by handle on the toy, leaving the exact same 4″ of insertable shaft. This is quite an important feature because, as I’m always telling people, the prostate is actually quite shallow and easy to reach, and 4″ is more than enough to get there, but the larger handle is far more practical to operate during use. The other place where the Loki is notably larger is in its girth, which comes in at 4 5/8″ around the widest point, again compared to only 3 1/2″ on the Billy.
Those of you with keen eyes and a comprehensive amount of Lelo product knowledge may have noticed that the Loki looks an awful lot like the Lelo Mona, and indeed this was the first thing that struck me. After hearing many of my female reviewer friends rave about the Mona 2 I was quite excited by this fact, and that I’d finally be able to try an anal-safe version of it, so I casually put the question to my contact from Lelo expecting to get a simple confirmation, but instead the response was rather more evasive. The official line is that “[Lelo] products have some recognizable similar features, but each of them is a distinctive different product, designed for it’s own purposes” which is fair enough, but to my mind it’s still just a modified Mona, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. 
The construction of the Loki is again similar to that of the Billy, and indeed to many of Lelo’s other vibrators. Internally it’s made from a firm white ABS plastic which is visible around the handle, while the insertable portion is covered by a thin layer of soft velvety silicone. There are two colour options available for the silicone, Federal Blue or Obsidian Black. I happen to have the black one as you’ll see from the side by side photos I took of the Loki with the Billy, but I included an example of the blue at the top as I think it looks a bit nicer. The amount of silicone on the Loki does feel marginally thicker than on the Billy, and you can feel a little give when you squeeze it, so it does provide a touch of cushioning. One area where there is substantially more silicone is in the guard piece between the handle and shaft, which is much larger than on the Billy and provides a good solid limitation on how far the Loki can be inserted. 
When it does come to inserting the Loki it’s a nice smooth affair. The size clearly makes it less beginner-friendly than the Billy, but the gentle taper helps to ease that bulbous shaft into the body, and the smooth plush silicone feels lovely against the skin. Inside the body the Loki feels pleasantly filling; it’s not the biggest toy in the world but you can really feel its presence, especially with the way that it angles itself into the prostate and applies a gentle pressure. Whereas the Billy often felt that it didn’t fill you enough the Loki is ideal and feels perfectly satisfying, because frankly for this purpose you wouldn’t want something that went too far in the opposite direction and really stretched you out either. 
With the toy in position it stays quite happily in place meaning there’s no need to keep holding onto it if you don’t wish. The handle protrudes from the body enough that it’s easy to grab onto to operate, and with a little flexibility you can see the buttons too. Most of the time you’re going to be operating the buttons blind, and thankfully some changes to the control pad since the Billy make it easier to decipher what you’re going to be pushing. There are 4 buttons in total laid out like the points of a compass. West and East are + & – which control the vibration intensity, while North and South cycle up and down through the six different patterns.
The vibrations are impressively strong, even on the lower settings, and you can really feel them penetrating into the prostate. It’s definitely a welcome step up from the Billy. In terms on what the vibrations themselves are like on a buzzy to rumbly scale, they’re more midway between the two, leaning more towards the rumbly side. Personally I would have preferred a little more of a deeper rumbly vibration than what you get, but it’s still a really pleasing sensation that it delivers, especially when coupled with the intensity of the power settings. 
The six patterns that you get to pick from are as follows: constant vibration, steady pulses, rapid pulses, repeated increase in intensity from low to high, gentle increase from low to high and back down again, and lastly random mode which produces pulses with no set interval. It’s not often I say this but I actually like all the patterns and none of them are a dud for me. They’re a little bit different to the patterns on the Billy, and at first I was worried that I was going to miss a couple of my favourites, but there are options which are similar enough that they get the job done just as well, and better too when you add in the increased vibration strength.
One thing that’s always nice about the handheld prostate massagers is that you can manipulate them during use. Most of the time you’ll probably just lie there letting it do its thing, but if you grab the handle you can do short thrusts with it to add extra stimulation to the prostate, or you can angle it more into the prostate to add a firmer pressure. You can also have a partner grab the handle and use it on you, and all of these really add to the experience. 
There’s enough flexibility with the various patterns and settings that you can configure it to something that feels soothing enough to enjoy while you watch TV, play a videogame, or even write a review (ahem), but when you get everything set just right and turned all the way up it can feel incredibly pleasurable and add an intense edge to a masturbation session that you didn’t even know you were missing.
Like the Billy the Loki is rechargeable, has a lockable keypad for use when travelling, and comes with a cloth storage pouch. It is a tad more noisy than the Billy, but with a closed door it’s doubtful anyone would hear it. It comes with a USB charging cable rather than a wall plug, and one welcome upgrade is that the Loki is 100% waterproof, giving you the option of safely using it in the bath or shower.

So as we reach the point of the review where I feel that it’s time to wrap up, I only have one thing to say; buy one. Lelo have really impressed me here with this one, it’s as though someone looked at my list of everything I’d tweak with Billy and then went away and made it happen. It thoroughly deserves my recommendation: it’s delightfully filling, it’s easy to operate, and its strong vibrations will remind you why it’s great to own a prostate. If you’re a Billy owner already then it’s well worth the upgrade.
Thanks to Lelo for sending me one to review and it’s available to buy directly from them right now, and from the following places around the world:
North America: Lovehoney USA, Shevibe